Chapter 66: Whispers of the Love God (Part 6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 66: Whispers of the Love God (Part 6)
"An Evil God."
Facing Muen's persistent questioning, An slowly spat out those three words.
"Heh, as I thought."
Muen wore an expression that said I knew it. He wasn't particularly surprised. Resting his head back against a stone, he gazed out at the distant monster.
Though this was his first time seeing one in person, Muen had, after all, read the original novel. After the initial shock wore off, he had regained his composure quickly.
An Evil God.
The catalyst for corruption, the hidden hand behind destruction.
In the original book, they were the ultimate source of all calamity. In a sense, the threat posed by an Evil God was even greater than that of the Demon Race currently waging war against the Empire at the border.
The Demons were driven to invade humanity by land and hatred; they brought war. But the Evil Gods were chaos, disorder, and death itself. They were insidious, eroding everything they touched, wielding high and mighty Authorities as they cast their greedy gazes upon the mortal realm.
In history, the three Great Catastrophes that had nearly brought humanity to extinction all bore the fingerprints of the Evil Gods. Even the Demon God prophesied to destroy the world was one of their number.
Because they were behind every conceivable evil and had a hand in every disaster, the Evil Gods had essentially become the ultimate scapegoats of the original novel.
If something inexplicable happens, it must be the work of an Evil God.jpg.
"I didn't expect the corruption to have reached this level. What exactly happened? Everything seemed normal before," Muen muttered, frowning in confusion.
Well...
To a yandere, "training" one's husband was perfectly normal.
"But now isn't the time to be thinking about that."
Muen sighed softly and stood up.
"We can't just let this thing keep growing. Luckily, we're out in the middle of nowhere. If it moves toward a village, it’s all over."
"An, let's get back to Belland immediately. There are specialized agencies there for dealing with Evil God corruption. The Life Church won't just sit by and watch, either. They’re more professional than us. Come on, let's go find them."
Muen reached out and grabbed An’s arm, intending to pull her away with him.
...She didn't budge.
An sat there, arms wrapped around herself, her eyes downcast. Her expression was unreadable. No matter how hard Muen pulled, she remained motionless.
"An?"
"No. I can't leave."
"Why not?"
"Because... I have to take responsibility."
"Responsibility? For what? This is Evil God corruption! What does it have to do with you? You aren't an Evil God."
"But it does have to do with me."
An looked up. Her eyes met Muen’s, filled with the bewildered helplessness of a child who had done something terribly wrong.
"It’s because of what I said. It’s because of the things I told Eluka that she was corrupted by the Evil God."
"Eh? Those things... what do you mean?" Muen asked, stunned.
"Two days ago, when I went to catch fish for you, Young Master, I met Eluka..."
An’s fingers dug into her arms, her grip tightening. Her knuckles turned white from the sheer force she was exerting, yet she seemed entirely unaware of it. The internal torment and self-reproach she felt had long since numbed her to any physical pain.
In a trembling voice, An spoke softly to Muen.
She told him of her first meeting with Eluka two days ago and the things she had said to her. Then, she spoke of their reunion just moments ago.
She described how she had stood by and watched as Eluka transformed completely into a monster, reaching a point of no return. And finally, she repeated the last words Eluka had said to her.
"Master, you were the one who told me... what love is."
...
"I see."
After hearing An’s story, Muen found it difficult to remain calm.
"So you're saying... after Eluka heard your advice, she had a sudden epiphany, turned into a yandere, and then made a wish to an Evil God to gain the power to completely control the one she loved, leading to this corruption?"
"I don't know what she did after we parted, but... that is likely the case."
"And so, you think this is your responsibility?"
"Yes."
An bit her lip and nodded. This was her fault. If she hadn't said those things, none of this would have happened. Therefore—
"An, get a grip!"
Muen’s sudden, sharp shout cut through her spiraling thoughts. He pointed at the mountain-sized, grotesque monster and barked:
"Look at that thing! Look at it! Are you telling me someone can turn into that in just two days? As terrifying as Evil Gods are, their erosion isn't instantaneous. Before an outbreak like this, the pollution must have been accumulating for a long time!
"In other words, there's no way she only came into contact with an Evil God because of what you said. She must have been involved with them long before you met her!"
"But... I was at least the trigger for the outbreak, wasn't I?"
"The outbreak was only a matter of time! No one fundamentally changes because of a few words from a stranger. Eluka became a yandere because she already had those tendencies. Even without your words, she would have ended up like this sooner or later!
"Besides, she's beyond saving. Can't you see that? Eluka doesn't even have a body of her own anymore! What could you possibly do?"
Muen roared at An, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He was suddenly angry.
Why was she being so stubborn? Why was she forcing a responsibility onto herself that didn't belong to her? If someone took one extra breath of oxygen and caused the world to end a billionth of a second sooner, should they be held responsible for the apocalypse?
Did she not realize how horrific a creature corrupted by an Evil God truly was? Did she not value her own life? Why did she have to get stuck in such a pointless rut?
Someone else would handle it. It wasn't her burden to bear!
"She called me Master."
"Huh?"
"That girl... she called me Master," An said, her voice trembling as she looked up at Muen. "As her Master, how can I just leave my disciple behind?"
Crystal tears began to fall, like pearls from a broken string, rolling down her exquisite face.
Muen froze.
This was the first time he had ever seen An like this. In his memory, An was always composed, her expression dignified and her posture elegant. She handled her duties as a personal maid perfectly; her ninety-degree bows were flawless. Even the distance of every step she took was measured and precise.
She was the very incarnation of the perfect maid. In Muen's memory, she had never made a single mistake. A person like that would naturally never allow herself to show even a hint of weakness.
But now.
The girl before him was curled into herself, clutching her arms. Strands of messy hair clung to her forehead, and her delicate makeup had long been ruined by the water. The sharp, cold light that usually occupied her eyes was gone, replaced by the panicked helplessness of a child who had made a mistake.
She looked so pathetic. So heartbreaking.
And yet, deep in her eyes, there remained an unyielding stubbornness. Like a sulking little girl, she stared fixedly at Muen.
"I'm going, Young Master."
...
"Dammit."
Looking at An, a certain chord in Muen's heart was gently struck. His anger vanished as quickly as it had come.
Then, as if possessed, he spoke.
"Fine. I'm coming with you."